We're more than just a lending platform, we back small businesses to succeed. We also contribute billions each year to the UK's GDP and help to create hundreds of thousands of jobs. We're proud to have built something bigger than each of us alone.
We are proud to be named a Sunday Times Best Place to Work 2026. This award reflects how hard we work to maintain a space where every Circler can thrive.
We are on a mission
We’re on a mission to back small business owners in the UK in a way that no other company can. To succeed, we’ve built a high-performing team that has the restless energy of a FinTech start up combined with the stability of a public company. Our culture is defined by people who take ownership and run with it, ensuring that everyone has the platform to contribute their unique ideas. We measure our success not just by what we achieve individually, but by the collective impact we have on our customers and each other.
We're on a mission to back small business owners in the UK - in a way that no other company can. You bring your expertise and talent, and we promise to connect it with real change for real people.
To Grow Fast
We believe the fastest way to grow is to do - so we give you the ownership and responsibility to go further, faster.The more you put in, the more you get out - whether you're starting out or taking your next step.
To Belong Together
We're a driven team who choose to lift each other up - we challenge, we champion, and we have each other's backs.Because the best work is done when you feel you truly belong.
To Build Better
Nothing stays still here, we're constantly improving, changing and spotting new opportunities.We're builders. Our people can switch direction quickly, see things differently, take ownership and run with it.
To Be Different
We're built differently - the restless energy of a fintech, with the stability and backing of a public company.The result? The pace to innovate and the scale to make it count.
How we work
We are passionate about collaboration and work in cross functional teams to deliver for our customers. We live by our company values and celebrate our diversity in all of its wonderful forms. We Stand Together, as one. We truly believe in creating a company people want to be part of, where they can be themselves, and learn and grow in whatever way makes sense for them. We do this through empowerment and ownership, celebrating the successes (both big and small!) as we go. Because of that we are a hybrid first workplace and you can typically expect to spend three days each week (two if you're in one of our tech teams) in our newly refurbished central London office. We very much believe in and support all variations of flexible working; we know that life doesn’t always fit into neat little boxes and we’re here to ensure you can strike the balance you need every step of the way.
Funding Circle has a culture of stepping up. We want our people to grow and develop. We back Circlers to build their incredible careers with us at Funding Circle and support paths for progression within all of our teams. We are also huge fans of squiggly careers, as we know that not all progression is linear. We empower Circlers to learn new things, to develop skills outside of the remit of their roles and support them in their pivot when the time is right.
Our proposition to Circlers is more than just a paycheck; we provide a wide range of benefits and policies centred around four key pillars: your Health, your Wealth, your Development and your Lifestyle.
Whether it’s taking that next step in your professional development through courses and accreditations, moving into a new stage of life such as homeownership and parenthood, or supporting your mental or physical health, we’ve got something to help you thrive.
Salaries and Performance
Our Talent team will always be transparent with you about our hiring budgets.
Offers to join us are based on the value that we believe an individual can bring to a role, and are not biassed by recent salary or future expectations. We benchmark our salaries internally against comparable roles to ensure fairness, and externally across our industry so that they reflect the experience that you can bring to the team.
Each year our performance and compensation review cycle ensures pay adjustments are in line with individual contribution as well as our company performance.
We aim to:
- Be competitive to attract high performers (and retain them!)
- Act fairly and consistently with our salary banding and role hiring budgets
- Stay on top of the data and adjust our benchmarks regularly
Our Recruitment Process
We know that it’s not a one size fits all approach to hiring and no two processes are exactly the same. We regularly audit our processes to ensure we’re offering a seamless and transparent experience to our candidates. Most of our processes are built around the below:
1
Talent Partner Phone Screen
Your first insights into life as a Circler; your talent partner will talk you through the Funding Circle journey and how the role you’re interviewing for fits into our mission.
2
Lifting the hood on the role and responsibilities; you’ll meet with your potential future manager and talk through your skills and experience that align to the requirements.
3
Ways of Working Onsite or Video Interviews (1-2)
Getting into the details with teammates, stakeholders or technical SMEs; you’ll be tested on your ability to do the role.
AI is rapidly changing the hiring, application and interview process and as an AI-native business, our guidance on this is constantly evolving. You can learn about how we use AI in talent acquisition, and read our candidate guidelines in our AI in Hiring document.
71 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4AY
Full time
Location Type
Hybrid
Department
We’re on a mission to back the UK’s small businesses like no one else
Small businesses are the backbone of the economy, and we’re here to help them win. We’ve built a platform that uses clever data to get them the funding they need in minutes, not weeks.
At Funding Circle, we have the restless energy of a fintech start-up with the stability of a public company. It’s a unique mix that gives Circlers the autonomy to take ownership and the scale to make an impact that truly counts.
We’re a high-performing team that chooses to lift each other up. We challenge, we champion, and we have each other’s backs - because we know that when we stand together, we move faster and build better.
The impact is real: Last year alone, the businesses on our platform generated £7.2bn for the UK economy Come and join a mission that matters!
London (Hybrid) | 2 days in the office | Competitive Salary + Benefits
We are looking for an experienced Lead Engineer to join our Collections, Recoveries and Investor (CRI) Engineering team, part of the Multi Product Experience (MPX) group within Core Services Engineering.
CRI spans two domains - Collections, Recoveries & Litigation (CRL) and Investor Management. Our systems sit directly in the path of every loan we fund and every investor relationship we hold, so reliability isn't optional. The stack is a mix of Ruby, Clojure and Python.
As Lead Engineer, you'll bring technical authority and hands-on delivery to a team navigating change on systems foundational to how the business runs.
You lead your team(s) to deliver large, complex, ambiguous initiatives - brokering solution ideation across team boundaries and holding your team accountable for outcomes. With your Engineering Manager, you jointly own your team's engineering performance metrics, driving a culture of continuous improvement against them.
You champion engineering-led improvements across Product Engineering, proactively spotting gaps and shaping engineering-wide standards, including how to most effectively leverage AI.
You can solve technical problems within your area of focus, acting as a recognised technical authority across Product Engineering and role-modelling effective use of AI tooling.
You drive technical strategy that correlates with commercial outcomes, proactively identifying how your area accounts for end-to‑end customer needs and making trade-offs visible to product partners.
You collaborate with your Engineering Manager and Product Manager to set the technical and product vision for your team and domain, ensuring alignment with broader Technology and business strategy.
You drive architectural decisions affecting your team(s) and domain, ensuring designs are durable, scalable, and secure, while referring global decisions to the appropriate forums and owning the outcomes.
You communicate expertly with stakeholders at all levels (including non-technical audiences) and know how to adapt your stakeholder‑management style to the situation, navigating contentious conversations when they arise.
What we’re looking for
We value deep expertise, but a growth mindset and good energy are what really make our team click. We’re a group that chooses to lift each other up and think smart every day.
A technical leader with a track record of owning complex, ambiguous delivery across team boundaries. Not just shipping features, but driving outcomes.
A genuine passion for mentoring and coaching, with feedback (both giving and receiving it) embedded in how you work.
Strong instincts for spotting cross-team friction or misalignment early, and the skill to navigate differing priorities to resolve it.
Experience in at least one major Programming language (e.g. Python, Ruby, Clojure).
Recognised technical authority in your domain, with Circlers across sub-departments seeking out your advice and trusting your judgement.
Proven ability to leverage AI tooling to raise the bar on how your team builds and ships. Using it yourself, but also helping others build genuine fluency.
We’re building a place where everyone truly feels they belong. Even if your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement, we'd still love to hear from you.
Why join us
We back you to build an incredible career and by joining us, you'll be part of one of The Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For 2026! As a flexible-first employer, we use a \"best of both\" approach. We’ll see you in our London office to collaborate – with barista coffee and subsidised Just Eat lunches on us!
Our Circler Proposition focuses on five areas:
Flexibility: We provide a benefit allowance you can tailor to your own life and family.
Health: This includes private medical and dental, health assessments, and access to a digital GP.
Wealth: We offer life assurance, share schemes, and financial coaching.
Development: You get a dedicated annual learning allowance to help you level up.
Lifestyle: We have electric car and cycle-to-work schemes, plus season ticket loans.
We also have award-winning parental leave policies. We're here to support you through the big life moments, from fertility treatments to new additions to the family.
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Lead Engineer employer: Funding Circle Ltd.
At Funding Circle, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that champions the growth and success of our employees. With a vibrant work culture in London, we offer flexible working arrangements, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits package that includes health and wellness support, professional development opportunities, and a collaborative environment where every team member is valued. Join us to make a meaningful impact on the UK economy while enjoying a fulfilling career in a supportive and dynamic fintech setting.
